Suspender-buckle.



No. 050,200. 0, Patented May 22, I900.

' 0. L. SMITH.

suspannzn BUCKLE.

(Application filed Mar. 15, 1900.)

Nrrsn STATES.

P TENT QFFICE.

DlVIGIIT L. SMITH, OF WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE WVATERBURYBUCKLE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE. I

SUSPENDER-BUCKLE.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 650,200, dated' May a,loco.

Application filed March 15, 1900. Serial No. 8,727. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, DWIGHT L. SMITH, of Waterbury, in the county of NewHaven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Im provement inSuspender-Buckles, (Case A;) and I do hereby declare the following, whentaken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the letters ofreference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe same,and which said drawings constitute part of this specification,and represent, in-

Figure 1, a front view of a buckle constructed in accordance with myinvention; Fig. 2, a rear view of the same; Fig. 3, a side View; Fig. 4,a vertical sectional view showing the engagement with the webs; Figs. 5,6, 7, and 8, detached plan views of the several parts of the buckle;Fig. 9, a rear view illustrating a modified form of the back-plate.

This invention relates to an improvement in suspender-buckles, andparticularly to that class which comprise a back or frame and a leversecured to the upper portion of the frame, which is offset to permit astrap to be passed between the back and the lever and so as to beclamped between them, the object of the invention being a simpleconstruction in which a strong grip is secured upon the webbing and inwhich the frame is substantially covered by the webbing; and it consistsin the construction as hereinafter described, and particularly recitedin the claims.

As herein shown, the frame is substantially rectangular and formed froma single piece of wire forming the lower bar A, side bars B C, andinwardly-turned ends D E, which together form the upper bar of theframe; but the ends of the wire donot necessarily meet. The side bars BC are set inward for the purpose as will hereinafter appear.

To complete the frame, I employ a back F, of sheet metal, at the sidesof which are ears (1 17, adapted to be turned around the bars C B and sothat when thus connected with the bars their outer edges will notproject beyond the corners or ends of the frame. The upper edge G of theplate is bent slightly backward and upward and extends above the upperbar of the frame, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and, as clearlyappears in Fig. 3, the side bars of the frame are slightly bowed.Preferably the lower edge or skirt F of the plate extends downward intoa plane below the lower bar of the frame and is rearwardly ofiset fromthe main body and formed at opposite ends with ears 0 d, which areturned forward and against the rear edge of thelower portion of the sidewalls of the frame. To the upper bar D E a lever is secured, which is ofusual construction and comprises a thumb-piece H and gripping-jaw I,turned at substantially a right angle thereto, and fingers e f, whichare bent around the ends D E of the frame, which form trunnions for thelever. With the back-plate formed with the depending lower edge Ipreferably employ a grip, which comprises a finger-piece J and aserrated edge K, which is turned at substantially right an gles to thefinger-piece. Between the serrations are fingers g h, which are turnedaround the lower bar A, so as to pivotally connect the grip thereto. Oneend L of the web is inserted between the grip and the skirt F, where itis held by the serrated edge K and so as to be rigidly connected withthe buckle. The adj usting strap passes downward between the upper edgeG of the back and the lever by which it is clamped or held by thepressure of the gripping=jaw I against the projection G, as clearlyshown in Fig. 4..

Instead of employing the skirt F and a grip secured to the lower bar ofthe frame, as shown, the skirt and grip may be omitted, as shown in Fig.9, and the web lapped around and sewed or otherwise secured directly tothe lower bar of the frame. I In either construction it will be seenthat the webbing as it passes through the frame substantially covers thesides of the frame where the back is secured and that the sides oftheframe are protected by the corners, which arenecessastantially-rectangular wire frame having its sides set inward, aback comprising a sheetmetal plate formed with ears which are bentaround the inset sides of the frame, the upper edge of the said platewhich extends above the upper barof the frame rearwardly offset;

and a lever secured to the upper bar of the frame and havinggripping-teeth adapted to coact with the upper offset portion of thebackplate, substantially as described.

2. A Suspender-buckle consisting of a sub staiitially-rectangplar framehaving its sides set inward, a back comprising a plate, the ends ofwhich are bent around the sides of the frame, said plate formed with anupwardly and rearwardly ofiset projection, and a downwardly andrearwardly offset skirt, a lever secured to the upper bar of the frame,and

having grippingeteeth adapted to coact with the upward extension fromthe back-plate, 15

and a grip pivotally connected with the lower bar of the frame andhaving teeth engaging with the said skirt, substantially as described.

a In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presenceof two subscrib- 2o ingwitness'es.

DlVIGHT L. SMITH.

Witnesses O. H. HART, GEO. F. CARROLL.

